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Biomedical subjects

R Canger

Publications and source records attributed to R Canger.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1976

Cobalt-induced experimental epilepsy in cats pharmacologically immunodepressed. An EEG and histological study.

The authors made 11 adult cats epileptic by implanting cobalt powder on the left sensorimotor cortex. Some of the animals were treated with the immunodepressant drug, cyclophosphamide (Endoxan), before and after surgery, and others were not. Then the two groups of animals were compared in terms of EEG and histopathological findings. The treatedanimals showed a definite reduction of focal electrical activity both primary and secondary, and a much milder perifocal parvicellular infiltration and cerebral edema. In view of these findings, the authors suggest that in addition to other well-known factors, the pathogenesis of cobalt-induced experimental epilepsy involves immunological mechanisms triggered by the release of nerve tissue antigens as a result of tissue injury caused by cobalt. This would result in the formation of antibodies directed against several brain constituents. Last, the authors submit that a similar autoimmune mechanism may be at play also in the pathogenesis of some forms of focal epilepsy of traumatic origin.

Animals↗
PubMed1976

A study of the EEG sleep patterns and the sleep and dream experience of a group of schizophrenic patients treated with sulpiride.

The modifications of spontaneous sleep in schizophrenic patients following N-ethyl-2(2-methoxy-5-sulfamido-benzamidomethyl)-pyrrolidine (sulpiride, Dobren) administration are reported in this study. No significant modifications in the quantitative distribution of the various sleep phases (LST, SWS, REM) were observed, while a significant percent increase of SWS was noted, together with a significant decrease in the number of awakenings during the night and an increase of the sleep onset time. The patients' own difficulty to fall asleep, however, decreased significantly, and also a significant increase of dream recall could be observed.

Adult↗
PubMed1975

Immunogenetics of the Lennox-Gastaut syndrome: frequency of HL-A antigens and haplotypes in patients and first-degree relatives.

Twenty-two patients with the Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and their families were examined for HL-A antigens by the microlymphocytotoxicity test. The antigen HL-A7 belonging to the HL-A locus showed a significantly increased frequency (p less than 0.0005) both in parents and in patients. The same antigen showed a significantly altered segregation in patients but a normal one in healthy siblings. Another antigen of the second HL-A locus, HL-A12, did not display a normal segregation in our patients, in whom it was nearly not represented.

Epilepsy↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Public attitudes toward epilepsy in Italy: results of a survey and comparison with U.S.A. and West German data.

In May 1983, the Italian Institute of Public Opinion DOXA ran, for the Italian League Against Epilepsy, a survey to evaluate public attitudes toward epilepsy in Italy. Eight questions were addressed to a sample of 1,043 adults. Twenty-seven percent did not know what epilepsy was. The least knowledge was observed among elderly people, in the southern regions and the islands, in villages more than in cities, and, in particular, among the poorest social classes. Sixty-one percent had known someone who had epilepsy, and 52% had seen someone having a seizure. When those familiar with epilepsy were asked if they would object to having their children in school or at play associate with persons with seizures, only 11% replied they would object. Seventy percent thought that persons with epilepsy should be employed in jobs like other people, and only 8% thought epilepsy to be a form of insanity. When those familiar with epilepsy were asked if epilepsy is a curable illness, one-third answered negatively, one-third answered affirmatively, and one-third had no personal opinion. The Italian data seem to fall within the standard of the American (1979) and West German (1978) surveys.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Epidemiologic survey of epilepsy among Army draftees in Lombardy, Italy.

We conducted an epidemiological survey of epilepsy among males born in 1967 who were called for selection for military service from the Lombardy region in northern Italy. Of 54,520 subjects, 258 had active epilepsy (prevalence, 0.47%). Idiopathic partial epilepsy was most common (29.1%), and generalized idiopathic and/or symptomatic epilepsy was least common (3.8%). In the year preceding the interview, 66.9% of the subjects had been free of generalized tonic-clonic seizures, 57.6% had been free of minor seizures, and 36.9% were seizure-free. Case histories revealed a background of febrile convulsions in 18.9% of subjects, status epilepticus in 11.3%, and a family history of epilepsy in 18.9%. Physical and mental development was normal in 75.5% of the subjects. Education level of subjects was lower than a control group, and the unemployment rate was the same as the local rate.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Allopurinol as add-on therapy in refractory epilepsy: a double-blind placebo-controlled randomized study.

The antiepileptic effect of allopurinol was assessed in a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, cross-over trial in 84 patients with epileptic seizures refractory to standard antiepileptic drugs (AEDs). During a retrospective baseline period, patients experienced at least four seizures of any type per month. The effects of allopurinol and matching placebo were examined for 4-month periods. Allopurinol dosage was 150 mg daily for children weighing < 20 kg and 300 mg daily for other patients. Efficacy analysis based on the Wilcoxon rank-sum test was conducted for the 80 patients who completed the study. No significant period effect or treatment-period interaction was noted. Allopurinol significantly reduced total seizures (p = 0.005), and secondarily generalized seizures (p = 0.0015). Median seizure reduction for total seizures was 10.5 and 27.9% for secondarily generalized seizures. Subjective preferences by clinicians evaluated blindly significantly favored allopurinol. No significant change occurred in the plasma concentration of concomitant AEDs between treatment periods, but serum urate decreased by 32% during allopurinol treatment. No clinically relevant side effects or changes in routine laboratory clinical chemistry or hematology were ascribed to allopurinol.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Plasma concentrations of carbamazepine and carbamazepine 10,11-epoxide during pregnancy and after delivery.

Plasma concentrations of carbamazepine were monitored in 9 pregnant epileptic patients treated with the drug alone at constant doses during pregnancy and for at least 3 months after delivery. In addition, plasma concentrations of the metabolite, carbamazepine 10,11-epoxide were measured in 6 of the 9 patients. Plasma carbamazepine concentrations were fairly stable during pregnancy, and carbamazepine relative plasma clearances were significantly higher in weeks 4 to 24 than in weeks 25 to 32. After the end of the second trimester, there were no variations in plasma carbamazepine 10,11-epoxide concentrations and carbamazepine 10,11-epoxide:carbamazepine ratios. Both parameters were significantly higher in weeks 4 to 24 than in weeks 25 to 32 of pregnancy.

Adult↗